Articolo in rivista, 2018, ENG, 10.1111/cbdd.13052

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a new class of benzo[b]furan derivatives as antiproliferative agents, with in silico predicted antitubulin activity

Lauria, Antonino; Gentile, Carla; Mingoia, Francesco; Piccionello, Antonio Palumbo; Bartolotta, Roberta; Delisi, Riccardo; Buscemi, Silvestre; Martorana, Annamaria

Univ Palermo; Consiglio Nazl Ric CNR - ISMN

A new series of 3-benzoylamino-5-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)methylaminobenzo[b]furans were synthesized and screened as antitumor agents. As a general trend, tested compounds showed concentration-dependent antiproliferative activity against HeLa and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, exhibiting GI(50) values in the low micromolar range. In most cases, insertion of a methyl substituent on the imidazole moiety improved the antiproliferative activity. Therefore, methyl-imidazolyl-benzo[b]furans compounds were tested in cell cycle perturbation experiments, producing cell cycle arrest with proapoptotic effects. Their core similarity to known colchicine binding site binders led us to further study the structure features as antitubulin agents by in silico protocols.

Chemical biology & drug design (Print) 91 (1), pp. 39–49

Keywords

3-benzoylamino-5-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)methylaminobenzo[b]furans, antitubulin agents, antitumor agents, colchicine binding site, G2/M phase, HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines, induced fit docking studies, VLAK protocol

CNR authors

Mingoia Francesco Michele

CNR institutes

ISMN – Istituto per lo studio dei materiali nanostrutturati